COLBERT COUNTY-Colbert County High School Future Farmers of America (FFA) Teacher Jeff McKinney partnered with the Northwest AL RC&D to complete an Appalachian Regional Commission Eco Cold Storage Trailers Project. The RC&D bought the supplies and materials to build Eco Cold Storage Trailers, which will be used to transport produce from farms to markets to increase the shelf-life of the products. McKinney took on the building phase of the Eco Cold Storage Trailer Project, and his students, having retrofitted before, acted in supervisory roles to teach other students and completed the work on the trailers. The students successfully built three trailers for the RC&D previously under McKinney’s supervision.
Alabama Retirees Technical Advisory Group (ARTAG) and Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) are partners in this project. Bob Mitchell, representative from ARTAG, is assisting in this project by helping to update the plans for building the trailers. The construction plans and the list of materials required will be made available to the public for free after the completion of this project. They are also conducting an infrared test to make sure the trailers are sealed correctly to maintain a 
lower temperature. The trailers use a window air conditioning unit and COOLBOT technology to maintain a temperature of approximately 40 degrees. ARC is providing a federal grant for the cost of retrofitting the trailers.
Colbert County Superintendent Gale Satchel and Colbert County High School Principal Melcha Satchel are very supportive of this project and the opportunities it provides for Colbert County’s students. The trailers will be available for use in Franklin, Marion, and Winston counties, which were considered “at-risk” economically at the time the grant was approved. Anyone will be allowed to use these trailers to transport fresh produce, fresh meat, flowers, etc.
Media Release/Brianna Coleman Burns
Program Assistant
Northwest AL RC&D
